PRACTICAL PHEASANT REARING. 



sibly do better than quote for the edification of my 

 readers : 



" The best substitute for ants' eggs is custard." 

 (Here he goes on to describe the manufacture of the 

 custard in small portions ; for which, when required in 

 large quantities, as the readers of this book are supposed 

 to do, I think that I have it in my power to describe a 

 better and less troublesome " wholesale " plan.) " The 

 clear eggs that have been sat upon for a week 

 answer perfectly well. No animal food can surpass 

 this mixture. The egg supplies albumen, oil, phos- 

 phorus, sulphur, &c. ; while the milk affords caseine, 

 sugar of milk, and the requisite phosphate of lime 

 and other mineral ingredients. Moreover, these are 

 all prepared and mixed in nature's laboratory, for the 

 express purpose of supporting the life and growth of 

 young animals, and, combined as custard, form a most 

 soft, sapid, attractive food, that is eagerly devoured 

 by the poults. From my own long experience in 

 rearing many kinds of gallinaceous birds, I am confi- 

 dent that a very much larger proportion can be 

 reared if custard forms a considerable proportion of 

 their food for the first few weeks, than on any other 

 dietary whatever." 



So much says Mr. Tegetmeier ; and now I wish to 

 bring forward the claims of another very simple and 

 common article of diet, which forms a most useful 

 basis for the compounding of the youthful pheasant's 

 daily meal. I allude to " table rice ; " not chicken 



